


Return

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: Canon Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 04:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17196692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: The boys at school still bully David after he returns to his studies after the strike, but he’s more equipped to deal with it.





	Return

School lunch lasted for thirty-five minutes, and it was one of the few times of the day that David could go outside.

He never did, especially not this early in the autumn, when the weather was still nice, and the great outdoors was popular with his classmates. He’d become accustomed long ago to passing his free time in whichever classroom seemed most abandoned, and as much as his months away from school had changed him, he saw no reason to break with tradition.

His dislike of his classmates was a tradition, too. Not like slouching over when they talked to him, which was just a stupid habit, and one he was making a conscious effort to correct. Flinching when people laughed or touched him was another habit. So was coming home from school with a headache more days than not. David had had plenty of time to grow beyond that kind of idiocy, he decided, and so he’d resolved to do so, and not without certain degree of success. He knew his own worth these days, and that changed everything.

That’s why he looked up from his sandwich when the desks around him got invaded by four classmates who should have been doing something else, swallowed, and greeted them with a cordial, “What do you even want?” 

“Company,” said Jonathan Klarkzimmer, a tall handsome boy who was known for being reasonable and friendly (David hated him). 

“Was cleaning out some junk from this summer,” Said Alexander, who had acne (David hated him too). “Pop likes to put me to work. Saw your face wrapped ‘round an old fish.” 

“Was an article from the Sun,” added Herbert, who David hated the most. “I read it too.” 

“Why does your father still have a fish from this summer?” David asked, taking another bite. He was staring too intently at his sandwich, he realized, so he put it down, and leaned back in his chair. He felt rather surrounded, but he wasn’t. He really really wasn’t He was in the classroom, and not even Herbert (with his stupid name, and the stupid pair of brown shoes which his mother shined stupidly every morning) could do anything to him. 

“The maggot coming up through your cheek improves the picture,” said Herbert. He was probably right, but David had long since given up caring. It wasn’t a good picture of him, but the article had been a good one, and that was enough. 

“The Newspaper said you went on strike for a tenth of a cent,” said Jonathan. “Is your family really that broke? Why didn’t you go to a charity or something? I would have given you a few cents, if I’d known.” His blue eyes twinkled as he spoke, and David understood his meaning.

“I’ll give you a penny right now,” echoed Alexander. “I like to keep up with the news.” 

“He wants one and one tenth cents,” sneered Herbert. He nudged Alexander, “Didn’t you even read the article?”

“It was covered in maggots and several month old fish juice,” David reminded them. “Because Alex and his family can’t be bothered to clean up their own house. That’s why his face looks the way it does. You have to wash it so it doesn’t get like that.” 

“Hey!” 

“Watch it Jacobs…” 

“You know,” Jonathan said in an even tone, “Alex here hasn’t said anything about you being…well, essentially being a street beggar, or about you and your family being…” 

Herbert opened his mouth, but Jonathan nudged him. “Don’t say it, Herbie. There isn’t any need to be rude. It’s not like poor David can forget who he is or what he came from. We’re meant to be his friends.” 

Alexander snickered. 

“You’re not my friends,” David muttered. He sounded quiet and he hated it. It was just that he didn’t like being laughed at. Even more than he didn’t like being insulted outright, he hated being laughed at.

“We’re the best friends you have, so you might as well get used to us,” Said Herbert.

“I don’t see anyone else coming to keep you company over lunch,” Alexander continued. 

“I wasn’t striking because of the money,” David said, his voice low but intense. Another snicker from Herbert, and David felt like his stomach was shriveling up inside of him. He wanted to bang his head against the wall. It was astounding how much these boys didn’t get things, and how difficult it was for David to ever figure out if it was because they were too stupid, or if it was because there was something fundamentally wrong with him. 

Either way, it was too late to turn back now, so David continued to speak: “It was the right thing to do,” he insisted. Herbert rolled his eyes in that special way that he seemed to reserve for times when David was talking about right and wrong. 

“Joseph Pulitzer has all the money in the world,” David explained, undaunted now. “He does! He has all of this money at his disposal, to do whatever he cares with, and instead he thinks it’s appropriate to cheat children out of money that they work day and…” 

“So you’re calling yourself a child now?” Teased Herbert. 

“Yes! Or at least… I’m capable. I know I am. I can sell papes with the others if that’s what it takes, and I’m not about to complain about it, but some of us are as young as seven years old. Why isn’t there a system in place so that seven year olds don’t have to give up everything to support themselves? Failing that, why is it a given that the youngest laborers can be exploited at whim? I bet you anything Pulitzer could have destroyed our profits by a lot more than a tenth of a cent, and nobody would’ve lifted a finger if we hadn’t done it ourselves.” 

“So maybe you should be grateful to Mr. Pulitzer for only…” Jonathan started. 

“No! That’s like looking at somebody who decided to knock your teeth out with their fist, and being grateful they didn’t just stab you in the back while they were at it. Maybe you should be grateful that I could do all kinds of horrible things to you and I don’t.” 

“What’re you going to do,” Jonathan asked. “Form a union and rally against us?” 

It took all of David’s self control not to answer yes. The thing was, he’d had offers, mostly from Jack, but also rom Blink and Mush too, and even Jake, who he barely knew. If it was a matter of needing friends, or needing back up, then David had both those things. 

The problem with being a pacifist was, even for all the times he’d imaged the heads of the other boys smashed to pieces on the pavement, he was obligated never to hurt them or put them in danger. 

“You aren’t worth a rally,” David said, and not only because he had a very clear worst case scenario in mind, of how a rally could go. These boys weren’t worth anything to him. 

He was rescued by having to say anything further, by the ringing of the school bell, announcing that class was about to begin. 

“We’ll see about that,” Jonathan said, wanting to get in the last word, because he couldn’t follow David’s thought process and know David was thinking they weren’t worth beating up. 

It was this idea that kept him almost cheerfully occupied through math, and up until five o’clock, when he was finally freed, and able to go see Jack and the others.


End file.
